Still Hooked on Into the Blue

Many of you have probably noticed that Nicholas Payton‘s Into the Blue has been highlighted in the Music I Like section for nearly a year now.  I will freely admit that part of this is due to a lack of time to update the site.  I’ve been completely slammed at work for the past few months but things are finally settling down so I can indulge other activities like keeping this site updated (the horn has never left my lips, I just haven’t been writing about it).  No doubt, I have laid my ears on some really good new music – even while wrestling with the demands of my 9-5.

Still, I can easily say that I play Into the Blue more than any other CD in my collection.  Not since I first heard Kind of Blue has a recording captured my ear like this.  I enjoy everything about it.  I think every musician hears a recording, song or solo and says to themselves – “THAT is what I’m trying to do.”  Into the Blue has become that CD for me.  From the writing, to the group sound/vibe to Nicholas Payton’s phrasing and sound…  I’m hooked.

When I play now I find myself gravitating or hearing his sound/phrasing over new material.  Unfortunately I’m no where close to that level of performance – but I’ve got a clear target that I’m shooting for.  Do you need more proof?  “The Backwards Step” has been my ring-tone on my cell phone since last year and that same song pumps from my alarm when I wake up every morning.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve laid in bed listening to it before starting my day.  I hope Nicholas doesn’t read this and think I’m a stalker.  I’m just inspired by his hard work and that is always a good thing.

If you’d like to learn more about this recording be sure to check out Nick’s podcasts.  It provides some great insight on the recording.  Just go to http://www.nicholaspayton.com and click on Media.  Podcasts are located at the bottom of the page.

Equipment

I feel like I should update folks on my equipment situation.  It has been a while since I talked about it mainly because someone once assumed that I was buying horns at the expense of practice time.  Sore subject needless to say and we won’t even get into it again.  Suffice to say that has never been the case.

First off – I’m still playing trumpet.  If you recall I had decided to go to flugelhorn exclusively but after talking to several trusted friends who play the horn and listening to great recordings of the cats that inspired me to begin with…  I had to come back.  As of right now, I am doubling on trumpet and flugelhorn.

Last year was my 40th birthday (yeah, I’m getting old) and I wanted to treat myself with a new horn.  I order a Taylor Chicago Standard 460 from Andy Taylor.  It was love at first blow but eventually I started having serious problems with the weight.  After a 1.5-2 hour practice session my back was a complete wreck.  Keep in mind that I probably weigh 135 pounds soaking wet with a pocket full of bricks.  At first I refused to think it was the horn but as a test I practiced using my old Yamaha student horn for a week.  Back problems disappeared.  Rather than buy one of those weight-lifting belts and a lifetime supply of Doan’s Pills, I decided I’d be better off selling the Taylor and getting something else to replace it.  As of right now my current equipment is as follows:

• Selmer 80J Trumpet (polished lacquer) with Monette B4S mouthpiece
• Yamaha Bobby Shew Flugelhorn with Monette FLGB4 mouthpiece

I feel like I’ve been around the world with regards to equipment and mouthpieces.  The changes that I make now are small and much more educated.  I have a pretty good idea of what I like and what works/doesn’t work.  Hopefully this will be my setup for some time to come.

Maryland Summer Jazz Workshop

Last year I had the pleasure of attending the Jamey Aebersold camp in Kentucky.  I had a fantastic time and learned a ton.  While I know that I still need to work on the stuff that they gave me in 2008, I wanted to go again this year.  Unfortunately, like everyone else in the country I was concerned about finances.  As a compromise I have decided to attend the Maryland Summer Jazz Workshop next week instead.  I’ve worked with the camp director Jeff Antoniuk on numerous occasions.  I’ve been a member of his combo classes and I even took a private lesson from him a few years ago.  He has assembled a really good faculty and I’m looking forward to attending.

The toughest decision for me was picking a session.  Two of my favorite trumpet players are working on two different weeks.  Ingrid Jensen is teaching in session I and Tom Williams is doing session II.  For a moment I was tempted to attend both so I wouldn’t miss anything but work demands would not allow that.  I ended up picking session I because it fit my schedule better.

I hate that I won’t get to work with Tom.  I’ve had the pleasure of hearing him play several times and he’s a really nice cat.  I love his ideas and sound on trumpet/flugelhorn.  As disappointing as it is not to work with Tom, I’m excited to see Ingrid again.  I took a lesson from her when she worked at Peabody so I know she is going to have a lot to share.

I know I’ve said it before but hopefully I will get back into the habit of updating the site regularly again.  I plan to share my experience at the MSJ so please stay tuned for that in the very near future.

On December 29, 2008 jazz lost one of it’s greatest champions.  Freddie Hubbard left us at the age of 70 after breaking new ground with regards to trumpet playing.  When a friend sent me a text message with the news of his passing, I was in complete and utter shock.  While I knew he was sick I hoped he would come through it fine.  As one of the jazz trumpet immortals, I think I believed he would be here forever.

When I listened to Freddie play, he gave me two feelings – inspiration and intimidation.  Hearing him soar through the music with reckless abandon would make me want to run to the practice room to work on my craft.  At the same time, hearing him play was the equivalent of looking at a 100 foot wall that you know you’ll never scale.  I still struggle with those two emotions and have experienced them with other players like Lee Morgan and Woody Shaw.  They all set the bar so high with regards to creativity and technique.  Hearing Freddie rip through a song like “Powder Keg” from Wayne Shorter’s Wayning Moments is always enough to make me want to toss my horn into the nearest trash can and become a spectator again.  Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on the day), I love the music and horn too much.  Trumpet players are masochists in every sense of the word.

Freddie Hubbard’s body of work is some of the finest jazz.  On every recording that I own he swung for the fences and left nothing in the tank.  His ability to kick up the energy of a recording session was obvious to the ear.  You could feel it too.  I imagined the studio completely ablaze as a result of his playing.  As a result, band mates would respond in kind for fear of letting the         fire that he started – die.  Freddie did not save his best work for sessions where he was leader.  Some of his finest playing was as a sideman as evident in Oliver Nelson’s Blues and the Abstract Truth, Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage (as well as Empyrean Isles) and Wayne Shorter’s Speak No Evil.  His work with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers remain some of my favorites.

While Freddie was known for his fiery playing he could lay down a ballad better than anyone in the business.  When I decided to play flugelhorn as my main axe I was told by Pat Harbison to seek out a recording of Freddie playing “Here’s That Rainy Day” from his Straight Life recording.  It’s a textbook example to how a flugelhorn should sound.  Combine that sound with Freddie’s ability to weave melodic lines effortlessly…  to say it was beautiful was an understatement.  I played that tune into the wee hours of the night when I heard Freddie had passed and the         tears flowed.

God speed Freddie Hubbard.  You’ll be missed but never forgotten.  There isn’t a jazz musician alive today who was not touched or inspired by your work.  I and legions of others will think of you whenever we pick up our horns to play.

                To learn more about Freddie Hubbard check out the links below:

Freddie Hubbard Official Site
Freddie Hubbard Wikipedia
Freddie Hubbard “When Your Chops Are Shot”
Randy Brecker picks 12 essential Freddie Hubbard solos

I am most creative in the early morning hours. As I ride on the train heading  to work, I listen to my iPod. All sorts of slick phrases, patterns and licks pop  into my head. I tell myself that I will remember them so I can work things out  when I get home that evening. Of course this never happens.

I’ve always struggled trying to stay focused in the practice room but lately,  it has been harder than usual. Most of it is due to being mentally fatigued. My  official title at work is Systems Analyst but most of what I do revolves around  coding and wrestling with the nuances of various programming languages. Slap  that on top of the stress that I sometimes feel trying to get home (either by  train or car) and you’ve got a recipe for low productivity.

Staying organized helps. I have a list of things that I’m working on and I  try to stick to the list. If I only have 60 minutes to practice I’ll spend 15  getting warmed up and the rest trying to shed on something that is on the list.  That guarantees that what I work on will at least move me forward a bit. In many  cases I won’t feel like practicing when I first start but after a few moments I  get into what I’m doing and it turns out quite good. I manage to get in 1.5 to 2  hours after work.

Still, I wish I could practice for an hour in the morning, head to work and  then wrap things up in the evening. Since I live in a townhouse, waking up at  5AM and getting in an hour is out of the question unless I use a practice mute.  Next week my plan is to try and do this at least 2 days out of 5. If it proves  fruitful and I notice no negative effects on my chops I’ll expand it. Stay tuned  for how that works out.

Jeremy Pelt and Jim Rotondi

On Friday and Saturday I treated myself by attending two concerts featuring a  couple of my favorite trumpet players on the scene today – Jeremy Pelt and Jim Rotondi.

Jeremy Pelt was playing at the Kennedy Center Jazz Club with his quintet. I’ve seen Jeremy perform  numerous times in the area but this was the first time he was appearing as  leader. Most of the music performed was from his new CD November.  Standout tunes for me were “Monte Cristo” and a song written for his wife –  “Rosalie.” Xavier Davis was on piano and I really enjoyed his playing.

Jim Rotondi was playing in Baltimore at a spot called Caton Castle. Jim  featured tunes from his new CD Four of a Kind but also laid down some  really tasty standards. A burning rendition of “Unit 7” really got the crowd  going. He also played an original tune called “One for Felix” that I really  enjoyed. Between sets Jim was nice enough to sign some CDs for me. As always his  playing was on point.

Both players impressed me with their ability to make the trumpet sound  burning and edgy one minute, soft and flugel-like the next. They did this  without switching mouthpieces and both horns appeared to be standard axes. I  hear a lot of talk of using equipment to get a desired sound but their playing  shows that it really is a mental concept that shapes what comes out of the bell.

HR-57

Things have been really, really slow for me playing wise. This year in  comparison to last year has been void of playing opportunities. Most of the time  my chances to play in public come from outside invites. I’ve come to realize if  I want to play out I’ve got to step up to the plate and pursue opportunities  myself.

Starting November my goal is to hit HR-57 and other jam  sessions spots at LEAST 2-3 times a month. I need to do this regularly and not  once in a blue moon as I have in the past.  If nothing else it will give me  a chance to play out, meet some more cats and maybe even drum up a playing  opportunity or two. Even if I choose not the play, the live music experience is  a great way to learn and stay hungry for improvement.

By posting this here I’m committing to do this.  If I don’t say anything  about it by December – call me out on it!

Sound Files?

If you have been a long time reader of my site you know that I used to post  sound files showing my progress. I believe I’ve come a long way as a beginning  player in eight years. I’m hoping people realize by now that I’m not a  professional player. I’ve got a day job but I’ve also got a desire to learn to  play this music at a high level. I do what I can with the time I’m allowed (see  first section).

Unfortunately someone did not get that and made a point to trash me, my  playing and my efforts. I became less open to sharing my journey with anyone I  could not put my hands on. As a result, I removed that section from the site.  Don’t get things twisted.  If you see me on the street or wherever and ask me to  play something for you – I’ll do it without batting an eye. I just have a  problem posting material on this site and then feeling defenseless as some  anonymous coward makes derogatory comments about it.  This happened a long  time ago but it is obvious that it still bothers me.

I think a lot of people assume that since the site looks “professional” I  MUST be a full time player. Of course these people never bothered to read the  About Me section of the site. If they had, they would get what I’m trying to do  and where I’m coming from.

Any way – I’m seriously thinking about adding recordings regularly again. If  I choose to do so, you’ll see and hear something on my next journal entry. Of  course after writing this and getting ticked off again I probably won’t.

Quick Note to My Fellow Bloggers

I have to take a moment to say hello to some of new blogger friends that I’ve  come to know over the past few months.  I have been impressed and inspired  by their honesty and openness.  They are all really talented writers.   Their work has actually made me more likely to really share what is on my mind  (see the section above).  I don’t have to say names because they know who  they are.  Thanks for visiting my page and you KNOW I will continue to  grace yours.

Until my next post – support live jazz! Go to a concert in your area and be  sure to let the musicians know how much you appreciate their music. We need each  other.

Over the past few weeks I haven’t done much practicing or playing.  I think I went over 5 or 6 days without touching the horn and that hasn’t happened since I picked it up 8 years ago.  I had something happen with the family that pushed music way down on the priority scale.  Once I feel all is well on the home front I’ll be back in the saddle 100%.  I am beginning to put in an hour a day just to build my chops back up.  As brutal as that process has been the sound of the horn and it’s sensation on my lips has been most welcome and therapeutic.  Thanks to everyone for the good wishes.

Great New Music

So much great music has been released in 2008 that I’m having a hard time keeping up with my self charged responsibility of getting the word out to everyone. I’ve managed to cover recordings by Jason Palmer andNicholas Payton but there is so much more.  Because of that I’m taking a moment to talk about some of the new releases that have gotten heavy play on my iPod.  If you’re looking for something new, check out the recordings below.

Speaking of Paul Carr…

The Jazz Academy of Music is a DC Metropolitan non-profit organization founded by Paul Carr.  Established in 2002, the mission of the Academy is to advance and preserve Jazz music through education.  The Jazz Academy makes available instructional opportunities to children and adults who have an interest in developing their, talent and knowledge about music. While the emphasis is on the Jazz genre, the Academy offers instruction for beginners who are just being introduced to the art form.  It also hosts JAM Camp, a Summer Youth Program that offers structured training while remaining fun for young musicians.

Starting September 14th, 2008, the Jazz Academy begins it’s Jazz Under the Stars concert series with Paul Carr performing.  Come out and hear some great music and support a great musical cause.  Proceeds from the concert series will help the Academy continue their work in the community and foster an expanded appreciate of Jazz at the same time.  For more information visit http://www.jazzacademy.org/ or click here to view the concert flyer.

Hope to see you there!

Hopefully the picture above speaks for itself.  I am not comparing  myself to monster horn players like the legendary Art Farmer and his amazingly  talented student Dmitri Metheny.  I wish I was that good!  They both  keep me inspired and practicing.  They have also helped me making a change  that has been in the works for a long time.

I have decided to answer the call of  the “big horn” and play flugelhorn exclusively.

I stated in an earlier journal entry that my reasons for going to  flugelhorn were probably the wrong ones.  Over time I’ve come to realize that they were not  the only factors as to why I found myself less and less in love with the sound  of my trumpet playing.  When I attended the Aebersold workshop this year I  was feeling so negatively about my trumpet sound that I took my flugelhorn  instead.  The experience that I had at the camp combined with my  playing in general sealed the deal.  I haven’t touched my trumpet since  getting back and  I honestly don’t intend to do so again.

One of the cool things about this journal is I was able to do some checking into when this whole flugel thing started.  I found old entries that show I  have been considering this for  some time – as far back as 2004.

Art Farmer is probably most known for leaving the trumpet in favor of the  flugelhorn.  In an interview taken by Les Tomkins in 1965 Art said regarding the  change:

“Everyone has to find their own voice as an instrumentalist, in jazz more  than other kinds of music. You want to sound as much like yourself as you can,  and still retain your musical values. If you put one thing in place of another,  it should be just as good as the one that came first, if not better. I don’t  like change just for its own sake, but for improvement. Which is a matter for  the artist to decide. You may be wrong, but as long as you have the conviction,  who’s to tell you? My decision, seven years or so ago, to concentrate on the  flugelhorn was not as strange to me as it was to other people. I’ve still been  trying to do what I was doing on trumpet, I’m just able to do it more often with  the flugelhorn. My attitude to the horn hasn’t changed it’s just a certain sound  that I’m looking for.”

He goes on to say:

“So I have more facility, inasmuch as the sound is the beginning to me. If I  play a sound and it doesn’t come out right, I don’t feel like going on to the  next; I have to get that right first. Every note I play has got to sound more or  less the way I want it to, before I’m free to think of melodic ideas.”

“I don’t care too much for that shrill, thin sound that you get on the trumpet  sometimes. I can take a little bit of it, but as a contrast more than anything  else. It’s not that I only want to play the soft thing; I want a wider range  than that. When things are working well; I get it.”

Dave Douglas also wrote a fantastic blog entry describing the reasons why  he has been playing cornet instead of trumpet. Most of his  reasons mirror my own although mine are probably more extreme since I’m picking  flugelhorn. “Thinking like a tenor sax” and “blending like a trombone” are  phrases that I feel whole heartedly with regards to my idea sound.  The  lighter and less edgy sound of the flugelhorn feels more like my voice.  It also lends itself better to my style of playing.

All of the musicians that I play with regularly are cool with the change.   Many of them have been encouraging me to do this for a long time because my  playing seemed so much better on flugelhorn.  Not just in sound but in  ideas and confidence.  I know already that this choice will not go over  well with trumpet players.  To most of them flugelhorn will always be  considered a secondary horn and I am sure to lose gigs if I cannot play both.   The fact of the matter is I am fine losing some trumpet gigs and opportunities  like big band, r&b, studio and section work.  I picked up jazz for  improvisation and I can do just fine on flugelhorn.  Maybe even better than  if I stay with trumpet.

I have talked with trumpet teachers/experts and they all told me that I can  continue to practice my fundamentals on flugelhorn just as I did on trumpet.   While many have encouraged me to practice on trumpet and just use flugelhorn for  gigs I feel I am selling myself short by not fully exploring the possibilities  of flugelhorn.  Art Farmer once told Dmitri Metheny that he’d never get the  sound that he wanted on flugelhorn if he kept practicing on the “little horn.”   Coming from Art this means a lot and I intend to follow that advice.

Flugel-ly yours, JazzBrew

Jamey Aebersold has  helped beginning, intermediate and advanced jazz  players for years with his play-alongs, instruction books and DVDs. I had an  opportunity to attend his camp this year and I must say, it was one of the most  beneficial and enjoyable experiences of my musical life. Below is brief  description of what I experienced.

Theory & Ear Training

Every morning started with theory classes. Placement in these classes was  based on the results of short theory test taken on Sunday. There are five levels  of classes which cover all levels of theory knowledge. I found myself in Jamey’s  theory class and it was a good placement for me. I knew a lot of the stuff  discussed but not on a deep level. Jamey showed us several ways to improve on  our knowledge with clear examples and exercises. The popular class was David  Baker’s. From what I understood most of material was based on his Bebop books. I  was tempted to go there but I wanted to stick with my game plan of making my  basic knowledge more solid (especially based on my difficulties completing the  theory test). Maybe next year I will be ready for his class.

Emphasis was not just on scales, chords and the like. There was a lot of  discussion about the importance of training your ear. We worked on recognizing  major vs. minor chords, intervals and even chord sequences (ascending &  descending chromatics, major & minor thirds, whole steps, etc). My ear wasn’t as  bad as I thought and the suggestions for practicing to improve the ear were very  good.

Master Classes / Instructors

Every day we attended a master class that talked about the specifics of your  instrument and the challenges associated with playing jazz on it. We had a  chance to talk with Jim Rontondi,  Jim Ketch,  Pat Harbison and others. The final  day was a Q&A session with all of the instructors and it was really helpful.

You also see instructors in the halls and during lunch or dinner. Everyone  that I ran into was always prepared to talk music and answer any questions you  may have. One of the best things that I got during the camp was an impromptu  lesson with Jim Ketch on recognizing various bebop phrases in solos.

Combo Classes

Everyone is placed in combos based on audition performance. On average most  of the groups had 6-7 players. The combos were lead by faculty musicians and  they provided feedback on everyone’s playing. Group concepts were the focus but  we also got some great advice on attacking specific tunes, styles and changes.  Each combo member received a write up of what the instructor thinks they need to  work on at the end of the week. My instructor was a wonderful guitar player  named Craig Wagner.  Craig could really play.  I could listen to this cat strum chord changes  all day long.  Maybe one day I’ll figure out how to play this horn and I  can ask him to join me a gig.  He’s a big Jim Hall fan and  I love Art  Farmer so it’s a match  made in heaven.  He was also really cool and offered some great  advice to everyone.

In addition to playing in the student combos, each class had an opportunity  to play with the instructors. Rhythm section players played with professional  horn players while horn players played with pro rhythm players. This was pretty  intimidating but also very cool. It is amazing how easy it is to sound good with  a great rhythm section. I found myself playing less because they sounded  fantastic without me!

Concerts

If you want to learn to play jazz it is very important to attend live  performances. You certainly get your fill listening to some of the finest  players in the world at Jamey’s camp. During lunch we were treated with music so  good you forgot you were supposed to be eating. Evenings were always wrapped up  with a concert that sent you to bed on fire and hungry to learn more the  following morning. There were several different musician combinations including  piano, guitar and even a hammond B3 organ.

It was great to see an instructor show by example the direction he provided  in the classroom. It was also nice to see the musicians interact and enjoy  themselves on the bandstand. Some of my favorite players included Jim Rotondi,  Pat Harbison,  Jim Ketch, Bobby Floyd, Ralph Bowen, Steve Davis (trombone),  Steve Davis (drums), Tim Armacost,  David Stryker and the electric  Antonio Hart.  There were several others but I wasn’t smart enough to get their names. The  music alone was worth the camp fees. It was really, really good.

Best of all, recording these performances was encouraged. I’ve got some great  stuff to listen to over the next few months.

Miscellaneous

A few random thoughts…

My sight reading is horrible and it showed in the combo classes. In many  instances we played tunes by breaking up portions of the melody. I tanked on  just about every song we covered and I know my band mates were sick of me. The  good news is I usually got it right the second (or third) time around. Needless  to say sight reading is on my list of things to work on.

You see a lot of negative press about young people in the news today. Most of  the kids I met here were respectful, cool and just downright great to be around.  The US needs to look at the direct connection between the deterioration of music  programs in schools and how that relates to some of our problems with youth.

I need to work on playing my patterns, licks and tunes at faster speeds. In  many cases I knew the songs but not at a fast speed. At one lesson I remember  Graham Breedlove telling me that I should prepare for tunes at a faster speed  than usual. He equated it swinging two bats before stepping to the plate in  baseball. It’s great advice that I have to remember in the future.

Being a 40 year old man who considers himself a bit of an introvert, I wasn’t  looking forward to dorm life. At the camp you share your room with another  camper and your bathroom with four other campers in an adjoining room. All in  all it turned out great. My roommate was cool and they keep you so busy you are  only in your room to sleep and wash up. It really was a non-issue.

Combo and master class rooms can be cramped.  Be sure to take a shower  and wear deodorant.

When I got off the plane at camp we were greeted by folks who work with  Aebersold.  The woman who met me (Gigi) recognized my name because I order  so much stuff.  I thought that was hilarious and proof that I need to put  myself on a book/play-along budget.

The camp had people from all over the world and different age groups. My  roommate was from Japan and there was a woman in my combo from Switzerland. I  played in a jam session with a man in his 80s and Friday night I played  Watermelon man with a 11 year old from Korea. Everyone got along great. There  was a universal friendship there that I don’t think I’ve found any where else.  The world could learn a ton about foreign relations watching Jamey’s camp.  Someone told me that a kid said we should be dropping play-alongs and  instruments instead of bombs to solve the world’s problems. I think they’re on  to something there.

Jamey Aebersold is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. His love for jazz  and people is obvious as you watch him work. He also has a great sense of humor  and his energy level is incredible. When people start talking about ambassadors  of jazz his name must be at the top of the list. God bless him.

Yes, I will be going back next year. I hope to see you there too.

The site has been down for a while but that didn’t mean I quit playing (a lot  of folks assumed I had).  Things have been going well and I want to thank  everyone who emailed me periodically to see how I was doing.  I really  appreciate it.  A few updates…

I’ve joined the Jazz  Band Master Class again in late 2007 to keep myself playing with other  musicians and learning tunes on a regular basis.  The spotty gig here and  there wasn’t cutting it.  I’ve discovered that there really is no  substitute for this.  Back in the day cats learning jazz played with others  daily — either jamming or gigging.  This is vital to growth!  I  honestly do not think you can improve as a player if you confine yourself to the  basement playing with Aebersolds.  The master classes give me an  opportunity to turn all of the 12 key-lick-chord-pattern-ear practice into solos  that mean something.  Isn’t that what it’s all about?  There is also  the thrill of having to create a solo over a tune you’ve never seen before.   I’m still trying to catch my breath from soloing over John Scofield’s “I’ll  Catch You” — great tune and great fun.

I am also attending Jamey Aebersold’s  Summer Jazz Camp this year.  Really looking forward to that and will  hopefully share my experience here on the site.  Stay tuned for more  there…

Trumpet vs. Flugelhorn

Over the past few months I’ve been wrestling with a decision. My decision  revolved around continuing to play trumpet or switching to flugelhorn as my main  axe (ala Art  Farmer and Dmitri  Metheny). I think I’ve finally reached a decision…

I love the sound of the flugelhorn and I love playing it. It’s dark, silky,  mellow and it almost demands that you approach it in a more laid back and  lyrical style. All of that lines up with my preferred type of playing.   When people see you playing a flugelhorn they expect that style of play.   To me, the pressure to come out swinging for the fences like Freddie Hubbard,  Woody Shaw or Lee Morgan does not come with flugelhorn.

That reduced pressure allowed me to really get comfortable with the  flugelhorn and that came out in my playing.  When I made the switch I got  regular compliments on my playing and even invites to join with other groups!   On flugelhorn I felt like I could be myself without fear of judgment and  comparison to the trumpet players mentioned in the previous paragraph.   That lack of fear allowed me to really soar with regards to figuring out who I  was as a musician.

All of that is cool but I have to stop and think.  Am I not playing  trumpet because I like flugelhorn more or am I not playing trumpet because I  don’t feel I will ever measure up to other players?  In my opinion  flugelhorn is bit easier to play than trumpet.  For me it’s easier to get a  good sound, the range requirements aren’t nearly as demanding and the deep V  mouthpiece mask my poor articulation.

If the later is the reason I switched to flugelhorn, and I believe it is —  it’s the wrong reason to make the switch.

I love trumpet.  If you read the About Me section of the site you’ll read how I was drawn to jazz from hearing Miles Davis  play on Kind of Blue.  By taking an easier path I’m abandoning my love for  the instrument — how can I do that in good consc?

So…

I’m sticking with trumpet as my main axe.  If I am going to be me – I’ll  be me on trumpet regardless of what people think I should sound like and play  like.  All that said I need to step up and address my shortcomings.  I  am beginning to like my sound but I need to work to strengthening my embouchure  so I can increase my range and endurance.  I need to clean up my  articulation and I need to become more comfortable playing on up-tempo tunes  (Jazz Band Master Class is wonderful for this).  More importantly, I also  need to develop a thicker skin and become comfortable with who am and will be as  a player.

As always seems to be the case on this journey — I need to man up and put in  the work!

SIDE NOTE:  This decision was solidified last night when I saw Dave Ballou perform  with the Jeff Antoniuk Jazz Update at  49 West in Annapolis.  They performed tunes by Joe Henderson and Kenny  Dorham – two of my favorite players of all time.  It was a great  performance and Dave was on fire as usual.  The freedom in his playing is  inspiring.

Of course it is also humbling because I’ll never sound as good as him!   Thanks Dave… I think!  🙂

More Transcription Work

I haven’t had any gigs this summer and to be honest – I’m fine with that. The  lack of performances has allowed me to really evaluate my practice routine and make changes. Listening to  the results of some of my earlier gigs told me that I needed to spend more time in  the woodshed. I hear a few bright spots but I want to build up some vocabulary  and do a better job translating the sounds in my head to notes out of my horn.  I  am working through licks/patterns in all keys but I really need to do more  transcription.

The biggest challenge for transcribing is finding material within my grasp.  Solos that are not too easy and but not so difficult that I get overly  frustrated and miss the fruits of the exercises.  Ideally I’m looking  for phrases that will open my ears to new sounds and approaches to changes. My  slowly growing technique makes that selection difficult. I’ve successfully worked on a few  Chet Baker and Miles Davis tunes. I also tried to tackle Donald Byrd’s first  chorus of Jeannine (from Live at the Half Note Cafe). That one just about killed  me! I barely got through half of it before I bagged it. I’ll definitely have to  come back to it as it’s one of my favorite solos.

One thing that I’ve had some success with is transcribing solos from Jim  Snidero’s Jazz Conception series. I’ve tackled one tune from the  beginner level group (Ryan Kisor plays on the demo tracks) and one from the  intermediate group (played by Jim Rotondi). I don’t use the sheet music – I  listen to the solos on CD and memorizing what is being played. I try to match  what their doing from a style standpoint as well.  Later I’ll go  back and look at the book to see how the solo fits with the changes.  If  there are any really juicy licks that I like, I plan to transcribe them into all  keys.

I really think that my lack of transcription is the missing link in what I’m  trying to do.  It’s also the primary reason for my slow progress.  Most every established player that I  have talked to point to transcription as the most important thing to work on.  In  the words of Clark Terry – “Emulate, Imitate, Innovate.”  Hopefully as I fill that gap in my practice routine I will begin to see even  more improvement.

Surprise Concert

Last Friday while working in the city I walked out of the office shortly after  1PM to grab some lunch.  Being the stereotypical workaholic my plan was to  grab a sandwich from the local deli and eat it my desk while continuing to work.   I took one step out of the door and my ears were immediately drawn to the sweet  sound of a trumpet playing across the street.  How could I resist?  I  abandoned my quest for food and began looking for the source.

It didn’t take long to find it.  A trumpet player and alto player stood  on the corner jamming to jazz standards with a healthy sized audience listening.   Catching street performances is no unusual thing downtown but every now and then  you catch cats who can flat out PLAY.  This was the case for these two  musicians.  Both were excellent and they picked a great spot with regards  to acoustics.  It was like being in the Kennedy Center minus the $50 ticket  charge.  I was especially drawn to the  quality of music being laid down by the trumpeter (yeah, I’m biased).  His  tone on trumpet was fantastic and his sound on flugelhorn was to die for.   He played some really sweet lines on “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Body and  Soul” – lyrical, melodic and natural.  My stomach stopped grumbling as my  spirit was fed with great music.  I could feel the stress of the day wash  out of my body in a slow wave.

After listening to a few tunes I took a moment to talk to the trumpet player.   I really wanted to find out who he was so I could make an effort to catch him  playing around town.  His name was Freddie Dunn.  The cool thing was  we had actually exchange several emails prior to this chance meeting.   Freddie was a really nice and genuine cat.  We talked equipment for a few  moments (I was really curious about his flugelhorn setup) and I’m planning to  come out to a few of his shows in the area.  You can find out more about  Freddie via his website or MySpace site.  As I left I could hear them starting to tear up a minor blues.   I could have sat out there all day. I also couldn’t think of anything but going home and practicing afterwards.

Freddie – thanks for sharing your music with us.  I hope to see you on  the scene soon and I will let you know how that Dennis Wick 3FL matches up with  my flugelhorn.

Since after the holidays I’ve been struggling to get through a sort of  musical depression for lack of a better word. I haven’t been happy with the  results I’ve been getting with regards to my trumpet playing and improvisation.  I found myself being extremely critical not only of performances but of my work  in the practice room. Nothing felt right, sounded right… it was pretty bad and  I found myself dreading the 2 hours of daily practice that I normally knock out.  I did it any way but it was torturous.

At first I thought it was my routine. While my trumpet practice was very  organized I felt that my jazz practice was too loosely structured. I got some  help from a friend to organize my jazz practice sessions. While that helped I  still found myself being overly negative with regards to what I was doing and  more importantly – where I was as a musician.

I wasn’t sure if it was due to outside influences but I began to question  whether or not I was fooling myself to think I can actually do it. Can a cat who  works a 9 to 5 job actually become a good trumpet player and improviser? That  thought scared me because I couldn’t imagine myself NOT playing the trumpet and  jazz. Music has become such in integral part of who I am – the depression  started to slide into my non-trumpet life. Nothing seemed right.

It took some time but it slowly became clear. I had lost the joy of playing  and it was how I approached things mentally. I began to really look at what I  was doing and my thinking process. I pulled out my copy of Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within and began  to re-read it. That combined with reading other materials allowed the clouds to  start to recede. Here are some of the things that I discovered…

Comparison to Others

One thing I found myself doing was constantly comparing my growth to  others. I looked at where they were and where I was. If I didn’t measure up,  there was obviously something wrong with me and what I was working on. Wrong!  Everyone develops at a different pace. Music is not a race – it’s a journey. I  am trying to learn how to enjoy every part of it and not be judgmental. I am as  good as I need to be RIGHT NOW. If I keep working hard and practicing smart –  being “good” will take care of itself.

Don’t take the words of others as gospel – especially if  it is nasty or negative.  If you find yourself getting a large dose of that  from someone – move on.  You know what you’re capable of.  Stay  focused and keep moving.  I am lucky enough to have a support system of friends and fellow musicians who offer constructive criticism.  Those are the people that I listen to.

Focused Goals in the Practice Room

At some point I think I lost sight of how I should approach my practice  sessions. My big picture goal of becoming a good trumpet player and improviser  spilled into everything. Instead of focusing on the quality of my sound for long  tones, clean articulation for tonguing or moving a lick around in 12  different keys – I was thinking about the big picture. How good was I?  That is always a recipe  for disaster. I will have more “victories” if you keep my mind focused on the  goal of each exercise. If I do well with a particular drill that means my  practice is paying off. If not – I’ve found a weak spot and now I can work  to improve it. It’s a win no matter how I look at it.

My man Lorenzo always tells me – Practice is not good or bad.  It’s just  practice.  A neutral attitude will help me tremendously.

Enjoy the Gigs!

A wise man once told me that gigs were the reward for hard work in the  practice room. I often find myself dreading the gigs and not enjoying myself.  That is something I am going to try to avoid in the near future. I’m sure I will  get nervous (everyone does) but once the music starts I’m going to bring the  best that I have to offer and enjoy myself.  I also need to work on how I react to listening to recordings from gigs. That  may take some time… hearing myself play is worse than hearing myself speak!  If this means there are a few gigs that I don’t record –  fine.  I do enough recording in the practice room so cutting myself some  slack on gigs is probably ok.

Remember Rule #15 from Pat Harbison’s Bill Adam Sticky

Never get angry with yourself and never try to go so fast that anxiety is  created. If you do those things you are actually practicing being anxious and  upset when playing. Of course that is how you will feel emotionally when you  play if that is how you have practiced. Relax. It is supposed to be fun. We  don’t work music. We play music.

The entire post is fantastic whether you are a student of Bill Adam’s  teachings or not. You can read it here.

Pleasantville Surprise

Today while surfing channels on television I stumbled across a scene in the movie Pleasantville. It was the scene where Toby McGuire’s character was in the soda shop telling the people about the book Huckleberry Fin. Don’t ask me what Pleasantville was about because I don’t really know. What I do know is they played two jazz tunes in the background as he talked. One was Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” and the other was “So What” by Miles Davis from the album Kind of Blue. The chill that ran down my spine when I heard that familiar bass line, Bill Evans comping and Jimmy Cobb’s signature crash at the entrance of Miles solo is the reason why I’m doing what I’m trying to do. I love this music. I’ve heard “So What” a million times and it will never cease to move me in some special and surprising way.

Holiday gigs

I played a few gigs over the holidays. One was a Christmas Eve gig where I did mostly section work with my good friend Lorenzo and another alto player. It was a lot of fun. In a horn section there is a certain camraderie that you can’t find anywhere else when you’re playing with cats that love music. No egos. No negative vibe. It made me play better and look forward to more opportunities like that one. Special thanks to Robert Stocks for the invite.  The man is a musical genius and a beautiful cat to boot.

Another gig had me playing some Neo Soul/funk material with some jazz tunes thrown in for good measure. As always it was a good time and we made good music. The audience seemed to enjoy themselves and ultimately that is the measuring stick.  We played some jam tunes at the beginning of the set where nothing was written out and I really struggled with that. Part of it was style but most of it was using my ear trying to figure out the key so I could solo freely. I’m hoping that gets better and easier with time. I do know that I seem to play better with traditional jazz tunes/standards and that is mainly because that constitutes 90% of my listening habits. I seem to “hear” material a lot easier over straight ahead jazz tunes than anything else.

New Year – Same Goals

I had setup some goals for 2006 as I do every year. While I think I did ok with some I did terrible on one – transcribing solos. I didn’t do nearly enough. I started off strong the first few months but then I slacked off terribly. Granted, part of the reason why I did was to get my chops together with the Claude Gordon routine. The routine can be extremely time consuming and I was completely out of gas and chopped out once I got through most of the exercises. As a result I found myself not spending nearly enough time on jazz material. I really need to figure out a way to continue to get stronger as a trumpet player and still address some of the things necessary to be a better improviser. I’m open to suggestions there and will seek the advice of some of the folks I trust.
So my goals for 2007 include:

• Transcribe more solos – no need to elaborate there.
• Learn my scale modes – while I know my major, minor and dom7    scales I usually only play them from the root. I’d like to be able to play    any of them starting on any note. I think that would help me avoid the usual    trap of starting all my phrases on the ROOT of the chord changes. It gets    old fast.
• Attend a Jazz Camp – I’m not sure which one I will attend but    in 2007 I will be attending a week long jazz camp. I think I’m at a point    now where I can benefit from the experience.
• Continue to improve as a trumpet player – while jazz is my    ultimate goal I won’t get anywhere as long as I struggle to play the    trumpet. This will continue to be a priority for me.

Happy New Year to All!